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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27740800">today's onigiri special: a curse</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/spiritscript/pseuds/spiritscript'>spiritscript</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Haikyuu!!, 呪術廻戦 | Jujutsu Kaisen (Anime), 呪術廻戦 | Jujutsu Kaisen (Manga)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Curses, Gen, but not graphic, improper use of Kita rice, jjk universe, must always bully Atsumu, some violence, they're best friends your honour</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 19:21:52</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,368</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27740800</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/spiritscript/pseuds/spiritscript</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p></p><blockquote>
  <p>Inumaki sighs and burrows deeper into the scarf around the lower half of his face against the cold air, and rounds the corner to the only reprieve he’s had these few days; Onigiri Miya.</p>
</blockquote>Inumaki Toge: fights curses, eats onigiri, would be best friends with Miya Osamu
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Miya Osamu &amp; Inumaki Toge</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>39</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>259</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>today's onigiri special: a curse</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/nico_neo/gifts">zora (nico_neo)</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Formal apologies to anyone that's subscribed to me because idk what this is.</p><p>Blame <a href="https://twitter.com/d_fenestrate">K</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/bokutowantsyou"> Charlie</a> and all the Inumaki and Osamu art on the Twitter timeline recently</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It’s been a week.</p><p>It’s been a week and he’s found nothing. </p><p>Nothing.</p><p>Okay, it’s been three days but it’s felt like a week because Inumaki is getting tired of it. This was supposed to be an easy job; there’s a curse that seems to be originating at Ebisu shrine in Amagasaki. He’d been sent by himself as his first individual assignment post graduation, and so wanted to get it done and quick and that is not happening. </p><p>And despite the clear cursed energy lingering around Ebisu, there doesn’t seem to be any curse there, not that he can find anyway. </p><p>The pattern is strange, it seemed that people were dying exactly twenty four hours after visiting, of what would appear to be natural causes. It had taken a while for the jujutsu sorcerers to pick up on it because the deaths looked so normal, but they were too frequent, and upon inspection, the cursed energy was clear. A retribution curse more than likely, born of people trying to alleviate their guilt by praying, festering and becoming a curse that now haunted the previous place of reprieve. The first thing Inumaki had done was convince officials to close it off under the pretense of a dangerous fungus that needed investigating. Not that he needed to use the excuse, just a few words.</p><p>But it hadn’t helped. Deaths in the town had reduced dramatically, but people were starting to ask questions about the closure and Inumaki is worried he’s running out of time to find and exorcise the damn thing. </p><p>Inumaki sighs and burrows deeper into the scarf around the lower half of his face against the cold air, and rounds the corner to the only reprieve he’s had these few days; Onigiri Miya.</p><p>He’d found it on the first evening while trudging back to town to find somewhere to sleep for the night, the bright lights spilling through the large glass exterior and the white neon sign shining in the darkening evening, and he had suddenly realised just how hungry he had been. There were only three people inside at the time, the man who was working and two customers in a corner. That was good, Inumaki didn’t feel like dealing with people, especially considering he couldn’t really talk to them. </p><p>Probably the best thing about this restaurant is that it is, well, an onigiri restaurant. And considering he only speaks in onigiri fillings, it suits him perfectly.</p><p>Pushing the door open had revealed the warmth of both actual heat and that of the pleasant smell of good food, and he’d instinctively pulled down his scarf to inhale deeply.</p><p>“Tuna,” he’d said instinctively.</p><p>“Yeah, my brother was just here so I had ta make a lot of tuna,” the man behind the counter said, straightening up from where he’d been wiping it down and smiling at Inukami. “Ya fancy some? Cool tatts by the way.” he added nodding slightly towards him, who gave a slight nod in reply. And somehow, that had been that. </p><p>The owner, Osamu, proved to actually be welcome company. Despite Inumaki’s limited vocabulary, they were able to converse because, it turned out Osamu was more than happy to only talk about onigiri and onigiri only. </p><p>He pushes the door open again for the third night in a row, and shivers at the dramatic change in temperature and goes to make his way straight to the counter and the tall stool that had become his over the last few days. </p><p>But someone was sitting there already. Which is annoying. Because he had once again found nothing today for a job that was supposed to take only one and he would like to just sit in his normal seat and eat some good onigiri and listen to Osamu talk about food until he’s finished and he goes back to his ugly beige hotel room and reluctantly report to his higher ups that he once again had nothing.</p><p>He could just make the man move.</p><p>Better not.</p><p>He decides to move and sit at the opposite end of the counter instead and begins to unwrap his scarf.</p><p>“Inumaki,” he looks up as Osamu emerges from the kitchen with a large, heaped plate of food with what smelled like tuna, “good ta see ya again.” He places the plate in front of the man that’s sitting in Inumaki’s seat and it’s only then that he realises; they’re identical but for their hair.</p><p>Not Osamu looks up and over at him, taking a too large bit of food and asks, “what’s with your face,” and promptly gets a smack to the back of the head by actual Osamu.</p><p>“They’re clearly tattoos ‘Sumu,” he deadpans, and Not Osamu gives him a look and raises his shoulders slightly as if to say sorry, but really sarcastically. He doesn’t offer any such platitudes to Inumaki and returns to his heaped plate of food.</p><p>Osamu looks as if he’s debating smacking him again but instead seems to practise some short and intense meditation spanning the time it takes him to close his eyes and take a deep breath.</p><p>“What can I get ya today?” He asks, turning back to Inumaki with a smile, who hesitates for a moment. Osamu grins again and his brother looks at him with narrowed eyes, “what about a chef’s special?” </p><p>Inumaki beams back and nods eagerly. </p><p>When he goes back to the kitchen, Not Osamu’s narrowed eyes return to Inumaki, and he begins to chew slowly. Choosing to ignore him, Inumaki takes out his phone, but then a half eaten plate of food is put down beside him and Not Osamu sits, props an elbow on the counter and seems to try and make Inumaki uncomfortable. But Inumaki has seen and dealt with all types of humans and not humans so it was going to take more than Ego made physical to make him flinch.</p><p>“So what’s yer deal?” He asks and takes a much smaller mouthful of food this time.</p><p>Inumaki shrugs.</p><p>“Are you in a gang or something?” </p><p>Now it’s Inumaki’s turn to look at him with narrowed eyes.</p><p>Not Osamu throws his hands into the air and looks to the kitchen door as real Osamu returns with Inumaki’s food.</p><p>“He doesn’t talk much does he?” Not Osamu asks his brother and receives another smack across the head.</p><p>“Don’t be rude ‘Sumu,” he mutters.</p><p>“I’m not! He’s the one being rude not talking to me!”</p><p>“Can ya blame him?”</p><p>“Yes, I have been nothing but courteous and was simply curious as to the origin of his tattoos,” Inumaki decides to ignore him and eat his food and just ignore the newest stain on this already terrible job assignment, “because they look like gang symbols and I don’t need my brother’s business being dragged into a gang war or something! He even has one on his tongue that’s not nor--”</p><p>
  <b>”Stop talking.”</b>
</p><p>And Not Osamu is left looking like he’s choking as the words dry up on his tongue, his eyes widening and he begins to stutter. He looks between Inumaki to Osamu and points a finger at Inumaki who just returns his accusation with a blank look.</p><p>Usually, Inumaki likes to avoid using his power on allies and civilians unless absolutely necessary, and this man had proven absolutely necessary to shut up for his own peace of mind.</p><p>Osamu is looking with an exhausted look and a raised eyebrow at his brother who’s flailing his hands. </p><p>“Wasabi?” Inumaki asks and Osamu laughs short and quick.</p><p>“Oh definitely, maybe worse.”</p><p>Not Osamu is left dumbstruck looking between the two of them, but only for another moment. The curse wasn’t strong and lifts quickly, and words begin once again spilling from Not Osamu’s mouth, “what does that mean? And he did something to me ‘Samu, he did, I swear he did!” Another small smack to the back of his head manages to shut him up again. </p><p>“Stop being an idiot, eat your food and stop annoying my paying customers.”</p><p>Not Osamu pouts dramatically and picks up his food and then places it back on his plate and sighs dramatically. “I’m not feeling well,” he declares as if this is monumental and all should and do care. Which Inumaki doesn’t, and he’s pretty sure Osamu doesn’t either, so the tone is completely unfounded and Inumaki would really like to curse him again, but that would be taking it too far.</p><p>“You’re probably being dramatic.” Osamu sighs and moves to the other end of the counter to start wiping it down.</p><p>“Maybe,” Not Osamu says thoughtfully, “maybe I just think I feel like it cos I snuck into Ebisu last night and there’s apparently some weird fungus or something there.”</p><p>That Inumaki does care about, and all his attention becomes focus as he stares at Not Osamu who begins poking at his food. There’s no cursed energy on him, so residual either. But still, if he’s not feeling well it could be something.</p><p>“Why the hell would you do that?”</p><p>Not Osamu sighs dramatically, like a child about to explain impatiently some piece of information they have and that they firmly believe every adult should already know. “Cos I told the group chat it was closed off and Bokkun dared me, so I had to.” With that, he jumps to his feet and stretches, then slumps, “but there’s this weird heavy feeling,” he pauses, “I’m gonna just go see if I need a dump, don’t take my food away.”</p><p>Inumaki’s lost his appetite, and he watches Not Osamu go through to the bathroom off to the left. He can’t follow him, of course he can't. If only he knew what time he snuck in yesterday. It must have been after Inumaki left which was around seven. He looks at his watch. It’s eight thirty three. </p><p>“Don’t worry about him he’s always like that--”</p><p>Osamu is cut off by a large crash from the kitchen and Inumaki is on his feet in an instant, readying his stance and reaching into his pocket for the cough bottle he has stored there.</p><p>“What the--” Osamu starts and goes to enter the kitchen.</p><p><b>”Stay back,”</b> Inumaki warns, and Osamu stops and begins to move away from the kitchen, a confused look on his face.</p><p>The banging in the back stops. Has the curse caught on? Has he accidentally shown his hand as a cursed speech user in an attempt to save his friend.</p><p>The swinging doors are opened in a flurry of movement, and Inumaki is caught off guard, the curse is smart and fast he’s hit in the throat, hard, before he knows what’s happening. He ducks under the next swing just in time, then charges into its body, throwing it over a table. He needs to buy enough time to catch his breath and his voice after the knock. He coughs and already tastes blood. He tries to speak and croaks. And it’s at that moment he realises he dropped his cough bottle, but he doesn’t have the time to retrieve it as the curse stumbles back onto its feet. It’s almost human-like in shape, but it’s face is like melted wax except for two large diagonal slits with glowing yellow iris’s peeking through, surrounded entirely by black. It’s also a lot larger than a human and hunches to fit into the restaurant. Grade two, somewhere in the middle, still stronger than he thought it would be. He was probably only able to throw it because he’d caught it off guard. But if he can get to his medicine and regain his voice quickly, he’ll be able to exorcise it without much trouble.</p><p>Inumaki tries to check where Osamu is to see he’s okay, but can’t see him anywhere, and the curse is back steady on its feet, shoulder brushing the hanging lights, and it hunkers own, ready to charge Inukami and he doesn't know if he’s going to be able to take it on, best to try and avoid last second and take it by surprise again--</p><p>Then, from the corner of his eye, he sees a dark shape and then another large brown one soaring in an arc through the air that hits the curse square in the side of the jaw, causing it to stumble.</p><p>“Did I get it?” Osamu asks and the curse falls into another set of tables, “I got it!” he cries in glee. </p><p>Inumaki takes his opening, and spots his cough bottle on the floor thankfully still intact, he dives on it and uncorks and swallows as much as he can before swinging around to face the curse, feeling some of the thick, syrupy medicine running down his chin.</p><p>
  <b>”Get crushed!”</b>
</p><p>It freezes momentarily and Inumaki takes another swig of medicine, readying himself to go again, but then the thing starts to warp and contort, slowly at first, and then such a horrible, screeching noise erupts from it despite its apparent lack of a mouth. All at once it begins to fold in on itself, and then from what looks like its stomach, it implodes, flattening and becoming smaller. And then it's gone. There’s one last screech that shakes the glass windows, and then it’s gone.</p><p>Inumaki takes a deep breath and sighs. It’s then that he sees what it was that Osamu had thrown at it; a large, brown, sack of rice that now lays scattered across the floor.</p><p>“Do I want to know what just happened?” Osamu asks, still standing in the doorway of the kitchen he must have fled to when the curse attacked Inumaki.</p><p>He shakes his head in reply, “bonito flakes.”</p><p>Osamu nods and looks at his restaurant, removing his hat he scratches his head and puts it back on again.</p><p>“This is ‘Sumu’s fault isn’t it?”</p><p>Inumaki nods and takes another mouthful of medicine, “salmon.”</p><p>At that moment, the door to the bathroom opens, unleashing both the man and his voice, “y’know what? I’m feelin’ a lot better after that--” He stops and looks around the restaurant, then at Osamu, then at Inumaki, then back to Osamu. “Why the hell is Kita-san’s rice spilled all over the floor ‘Samu?”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>if you've read this far hello and thank you and feel free to come and shout at me about SamuMaki best friends on <a href="https://twitter.com/ohmiyamy/status/1332467594637447170">twitter</a></p></blockquote></div></div>
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